Taiwanese got a nasty surprise on Sunday as French President Emmanuel Macron, in the air on his way home from Guangzhou, China, sparked controversy by saying in an interview that Europe must avoid getting caught up in crises that are not its own. This was in clear reference to Taiwan.
After a run of good developments recently, this capped a bad week for Taipei, coming on top of the EU deciding not to move forward with a bilateral investment agreement.
Yet what do Macron’s comments actually mean for Taiwan?
It is important to ground one’s understanding here: What Macron said does not represent a change in policy for France, which no-one expects to help defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression. Nor is it obvious that he is suggesting France would not join European sanctions against China, especially given his comments on European unity (more on this later).
France has been, and still is, a good friend to Taiwan. Even as Macron was speaking, French-built frigates and jets patrolled the Strait, helping to keep Taiwan safe. France is also a Pacific country with more than half a million citizens living in New Caledonia and French Polynesia — it has direct security interests in the region.
However, it is also true that these comments are some of the most negative and damaging to come from a European leader in recent years, which have been characterized by friendliness toward Taiwan and a guarded attitude toward China. Beijing is certain to publicly interpret them as recognition of its sovereignty claims.
No one knows what Macron said in private to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), but it seems likely that at best he will be seen as showing a lack of resolve and at worse a lack of interest in Taiwan’s security.
Given that Europe has been steadfast in its allyship of Ukraine, Beijing has shown a renewed interest in driving a wedge between Brussels and Washington, explaining Chinese support for European “strategic autonomy.” The goal here is not only to weaken the US’ standing in the world, but also to reduce the scope and scale of European sanctions on China in the worst-case scenario.
Taiwanese have the right to be angry over these comments, especially given the high level of support they have shown for Ukraine, helping Europe in a crisis “that is not their own.”
Nevertheless, Taiwan should not overreact. Looking insecure does not help with security. There are some simple steps that can be taken. Taipei will have already spoken to the French representative, seeking clarification.
Taiwan’s engagement and support for Europe should be reiterated privately and publicly. Taipei might also look for a way to “boost the signal” regarding its support for Ukraine, but this should be done carefully and genuinely. Ukrainians and their freedom are not a pawn — Taiwanese understand this better than most.
Overreactions and pressure from other corners are inevitable and welcome in this case.
Europe needs to continue to engage with China productively — serious analysis should not dispute this.
However, if the EU wants to be a superpower, especially a standard-setting one, it needs to remember that the most powerful standards of all are liberte, egalite and fraternite, and should consider the cost of not exemplifying them when it matters.
As for Macron, true European strategic autonomy, in defense of European interests, is welcome.
However, he should consider whether France can truly sustain a “friendship” with China over the next three decades. History is seldom kind to the authors of failed resets.
Joshua Wilkes is a graduate student at the National Sun Yat-sen University College of Social Sciences.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS